Raresh - fabric 78

Raresh - fabric 78
Good DJs get maximum impact from the tracks they play. Whether it's with big breakdowns, melodies, vocals or any one of the countless elements that define house and techno, a selector will always aim to effectively present a mood, emotion or groove. Minimal DJs have a tougher time with this than those working with more colourful, multi-faceted styles. Many tracks played by the genre's leading DJs—Ricardo Villalobos, Zip, Raresh, Rhadoo—would fall flat in more conventionally house-oriented sets. Raresh's fabric 78 is a testament to the skill of those primarily working with stripped-back, groove-led sounds. Here, the Romanian has put together a mix that's funky, hypnotic and engrossing, despite being drawn from a sparing palette.

On fabric 78, Raresh isn't concerned with big peaks and troughs. He keeps the energy steady, focusing on the atmospheres and textures created by his loopy records. Hard-hitting percussion has never been central to the Romanian sound, and doesn't really surface on this mix. Instead, lively basslines propel fabric 78. Thrills come whenever one is a little bolder than the last. The mood spikes when the short, funky bass notes of Amir Alexander's "Bittersweet Memories" appear about a third of the way in. "I See Through You" from Oshana is another of many standout moments. On both selections, though, the intricacies would be lost without Raresh's excellent pacing and programming. Other highlights include the burrowing synth of Vlad Caica's driving "Codex Voluspa" and the Adsum rework of "Nemeta" by VincentIulian. These tracks are hushed, but have a metallic, spacey edge not present elsewhere, adding welcome brightness to a moody backdrop.

Rarash has taken a different approach from the fabric series' other recent Romanian contributors, Rhadoo (72) and Petre Inspirescu (68). Both supplied airy and atmospheric mixes, with varying degrees of success. The former's flowed nicely, but lacked the full, punchy drive of Raresh's effort. Inspirescu's was more intricate and musical, but consisted entirely of his own unreleased productions, making it an altogether different beast. On his third official mix CD, Raresh has shown why he's become such a big name not just in minimal, but house music in general. In its range of moods and in its general slickness, fabric 78 is of a standard beyond most selectors. That it does so with one of dance music's most skeletal forms only makes it more impressive.